Identification of unresolved problem
Formulation of aims and objectives.
TYPE-II: Cumulative Doctoral thesis: A modem but quite useful practice.
A book containing the pearls of a PhD work has standardized divisions and formats, where the number of pages should be weighted in terms of content rather than container. The book includes summary, introduction, materials and methods, results, discussion, conclusions, references and acknowledgements.
Two exercises are mandatory before starting a PhD programme:
Now comes the most crucial and functional part of the doctoral work, the materials/subjects and methods section. This part can be considered as the motor of the PhD work. The reliability, sensitivity and specificity of the motor must be checked before embarking on a long journey. Controlling the controls is the best guide for a precise and authentic work. Usually materials and methods contain components such as a description of the species involved, their number, age, weight and anthropometric parameters, types of surgical procedures and anesthesia if applied, and a detailed description of methodology. Continuous or point measurements should be thoroughly described. However, a dynamic method should always be preferred to static one.
The experimental protocol should be designed after a small pilot study, which is especially advisable in research on human subjects. A detailed and well-thought experimental protocol forms the basis of conditions under which the results would be obtained. Any deviation from the experimental protocol will affect the outcome, and the interpretation of results. It may be noted that great discoveries are usually accidental and without a protocol, based merely on careful observation! However, for the sake of a publication, a protocol has to be designed after the discovery. After having described the different phases of the experimental protocol with the help of a schematic diagram e.g., showing variables, time period and interventions, the selection of a statistical method should be discussed. Negative results should not be disregarded because they represent the boundary conditions of positive results. Sometimes the negative results are the real results.
It is usual practice that most PhD candidates start writing the methodological components first. This is followed by writing the results. The pre-requisites for writing results are that all figures, tables, schematic diagrams of methods and a working model should be ready. They should be designed in such a way that the information content of each figure should, when projected as a frame be visually clear to audience viewing it from a distance of about fifty feet. It is often observed that the presenters themselves have difficulty in deciphering a frame of the Power-Point being projected in a conference.
The results of a doctoral thesis should be treated like a bride. The flow of writing results becomes easier if all figures and tables are well prepared. This promotes the train of thoughts required to analyze the data in a quantitative fashion. The golden rule of writing results of a thesis is to describe what the figure shows. No explanation is required. One should avoid writing anything which is not there in a figure. Before writing one should observe each diagram for some time and make a list of observations in the form of key words. The more one has understood the information content of a figure; the better will be the fluency of writing. The interruption of the flow in writing most often indicates that an author has not understood the results. Discussion with colleagues or reference to the literature is the only remedy, and it functions sometimes like a caesarean procedure.
Statistical methods are good devices to test the degree of authenticity and precision of results if appropriately applied. The application of statistical technique in human studies poses difficulties because of large standard deviations. Outliers must be discussed, if they are excluded for the sake of statistical significance. Large standard deviations can be minimized by increasing the number of observations. If a regression analysis is not weighted, it gives faulty information. The correlation coefficient value can change from 0.7 to 0.4 if the regression analysis is weighted using Fisher’s test. The dissection of effect from artifact should be analysed in such a way that the signal to noise ratio of a parameter should be considered. A competent statistician should always be consulted in order to avoid the danger of distortion of results.
The legend of a figure should be well written. It contains a title, a brief description of variables and interventions, the main effect and a concluding remark conveying the original message. The writing of PhD work is further eased by a well maintained collection of data in the form of log book, original recordings, analyzed references with summaries and compiling the virgin data of the study on master plan sheet to understand the original signals before submitting to the procedures of statistics. The original data belong to the laboratory of an institution where it came into being and should be preserved for 5-7 years in the archive for the sake of brevity.
This is the liveliest part of a thesis. Its main goal is to defend the work by staging a constructive debate with the literature. The golden rule of this written debate should be that a rigid explanation looks backward and a design looks forward. The object is to derive a model out of a jig-saw puzzle of information. It should be designed in such a way that the results of the present study and those of authors from the literature can be better discussed and interpreted. Agreement and disagreement can be better resolved if one considers under what experimental conditions the results were obtained by the various authors. It means that the boundary conditions for each result should be carefully analyzed and compared.
The discussion can be divided into the following parts:
Another way of writing a doctoral work is a cumulative type of thesis. 11 It consists of a few original publications in refereed journals of repute. It is supplemented by a concise summary about the research work. This type of thesis is usually practiced in Sweden, Germany and other countries. It has the advantage of being doubly refereed by the journals and the faculty of health sciences. Additionally, papers are published during a doctoral work. A declaration has to be given to the faculty of science about the sharing of research work in publications, provided there are co-authors. The weightage should be in favour of the PhD candidate, so that the thesis can ethically be better defended before the team of august research faculty.
A critical review of this manuscript by Dr. Roger Sutton, Dr. Khalid Khan, Dr. Bukhtiar Shah and Dr. Satwat Hashmi is gratefully acknowledged.
Dedicated to the memory of Mr. Azim Kidwai for his exemplary academic commitment and devotion to the science journalism in Pakistan.
What should be included in a dissertation table of contents.
All level 1 and 2 headings should be included in your table of contents . That means the titles of your chapters and the main sections within them.
The contents should also include all appendices and the lists of tables and figures, if applicable, as well as your reference list .
Do not include the acknowledgements or abstract in the table of contents.
Dissertation word counts vary widely across different fields, institutions, and levels of education:
However, none of these are strict guidelines – your word count may be lower or higher than the numbers stated here. Always check the guidelines provided by your university to determine how long your own dissertation should be.
A dissertation prospectus or proposal describes what or who you plan to research for your dissertation. It delves into why, when, where, and how you will do your research, as well as helps you choose a type of research to pursue. You should also determine whether you plan to pursue qualitative or quantitative methods and what your research design will look like.
It should outline all of the decisions you have taken about your project, from your dissertation topic to your hypotheses and research objectives , ready to be approved by your supervisor or committee.
Note that some departments require a defense component, where you present your prospectus to your committee orally.
A thesis is typically written by students finishing up a bachelor’s or Master’s degree. Some educational institutions, particularly in the liberal arts, have mandatory theses, but they are often not mandatory to graduate from bachelor’s degrees. It is more common for a thesis to be a graduation requirement from a Master’s degree.
Even if not mandatory, you may want to consider writing a thesis if you:
The conclusion of your thesis or dissertation should include the following:
The conclusion of your thesis or dissertation shouldn’t take up more than 5–7% of your overall word count.
For a stronger dissertation conclusion , avoid including:
Your conclusion should leave the reader with a strong, decisive impression of your work.
While it may be tempting to present new arguments or evidence in your thesis or disseration conclusion , especially if you have a particularly striking argument you’d like to finish your analysis with, you shouldn’t. Theses and dissertations follow a more formal structure than this.
All your findings and arguments should be presented in the body of the text (more specifically in the discussion section and results section .) The conclusion is meant to summarize and reflect on the evidence and arguments you have already presented, not introduce new ones.
A theoretical framework can sometimes be integrated into a literature review chapter , but it can also be included as its own chapter or section in your dissertation . As a rule of thumb, if your research involves dealing with a lot of complex theories, it’s a good idea to include a separate theoretical framework chapter.
A literature review and a theoretical framework are not the same thing and cannot be used interchangeably. While a theoretical framework describes the theoretical underpinnings of your work, a literature review critically evaluates existing research relating to your topic. You’ll likely need both in your dissertation .
While a theoretical framework describes the theoretical underpinnings of your work based on existing research, a conceptual framework allows you to draw your own conclusions, mapping out the variables you may use in your study and the interplay between them.
A thesis or dissertation outline is one of the most critical first steps in your writing process. It helps you to lay out and organize your ideas and can provide you with a roadmap for deciding what kind of research you’d like to undertake.
Generally, an outline contains information on the different sections included in your thesis or dissertation , such as:
When you mention different chapters within your text, it’s considered best to use Roman numerals for most citation styles. However, the most important thing here is to remain consistent whenever using numbers in your dissertation .
In most styles, the title page is used purely to provide information and doesn’t include any images. Ask your supervisor if you are allowed to include an image on the title page before doing so. If you do decide to include one, make sure to check whether you need permission from the creator of the image.
Include a note directly beneath the image acknowledging where it comes from, beginning with the word “ Note .” (italicized and followed by a period). Include a citation and copyright attribution . Don’t title, number, or label the image as a figure , since it doesn’t appear in your main text.
Definitional terms often fall into the category of common knowledge , meaning that they don’t necessarily have to be cited. This guidance can apply to your thesis or dissertation glossary as well.
However, if you’d prefer to cite your sources , you can follow guidance for citing dictionary entries in MLA or APA style for your glossary.
A glossary is a collection of words pertaining to a specific topic. In your thesis or dissertation, it’s a list of all terms you used that may not immediately be obvious to your reader. In contrast, an index is a list of the contents of your work organized by page number.
The title page of your thesis or dissertation goes first, before all other content or lists that you may choose to include.
The title page of your thesis or dissertation should include your name, department, institution, degree program, and submission date.
Glossaries are not mandatory, but if you use a lot of technical or field-specific terms, it may improve readability to add one to your thesis or dissertation. Your educational institution may also require them, so be sure to check their specific guidelines.
A glossary or “glossary of terms” is a collection of words pertaining to a specific topic. In your thesis or dissertation, it’s a list of all terms you used that may not immediately be obvious to your reader. Your glossary only needs to include terms that your reader may not be familiar with, and is intended to enhance their understanding of your work.
A glossary is a collection of words pertaining to a specific topic. In your thesis or dissertation, it’s a list of all terms you used that may not immediately be obvious to your reader. In contrast, dictionaries are more general collections of words.
An abbreviation is a shortened version of an existing word, such as Dr. for Doctor. In contrast, an acronym uses the first letter of each word to create a wholly new word, such as UNESCO (an acronym for the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization).
As a rule of thumb, write the explanation in full the first time you use an acronym or abbreviation. You can then proceed with the shortened version. However, if the abbreviation is very common (like PC, USA, or DNA), then you can use the abbreviated version from the get-go.
Be sure to add each abbreviation in your list of abbreviations !
If you only used a few abbreviations in your thesis or dissertation , you don’t necessarily need to include a list of abbreviations .
If your abbreviations are numerous, or if you think they won’t be known to your audience, it’s never a bad idea to add one. They can also improve readability, minimizing confusion about abbreviations unfamiliar to your reader.
A list of abbreviations is a list of all the abbreviations that you used in your thesis or dissertation. It should appear at the beginning of your document, with items in alphabetical order, just after your table of contents .
Your list of tables and figures should go directly after your table of contents in your thesis or dissertation.
Lists of figures and tables are often not required, and aren’t particularly common. They specifically aren’t required for APA-Style, though you should be careful to follow their other guidelines for figures and tables .
If you have many figures and tables in your thesis or dissertation, include one may help you stay organized. Your educational institution may require them, so be sure to check their guidelines.
A list of figures and tables compiles all of the figures and tables that you used in your thesis or dissertation and displays them with the page number where they can be found.
The table of contents in a thesis or dissertation always goes between your abstract and your introduction .
You may acknowledge God in your dissertation acknowledgements , but be sure to follow academic convention by also thanking the members of academia, as well as family, colleagues, and friends who helped you.
A literature review is a survey of credible sources on a topic, often used in dissertations , theses, and research papers . Literature reviews give an overview of knowledge on a subject, helping you identify relevant theories and methods, as well as gaps in existing research. Literature reviews are set up similarly to other academic texts , with an introduction , a main body, and a conclusion .
An annotated bibliography is a list of source references that has a short description (called an annotation ) for each of the sources. It is often assigned as part of the research process for a paper .
In a thesis or dissertation, the discussion is an in-depth exploration of the results, going into detail about the meaning of your findings and citing relevant sources to put them in context.
The conclusion is more shorter and more general: it concisely answers your main research question and makes recommendations based on your overall findings.
In the discussion , you explore the meaning and relevance of your research results , explaining how they fit with existing research and theory. Discuss:
The results chapter or section simply and objectively reports what you found, without speculating on why you found these results. The discussion interprets the meaning of the results, puts them in context, and explains why they matter.
In qualitative research , results and discussion are sometimes combined. But in quantitative research , it’s considered important to separate the objective results from your interpretation of them.
Results are usually written in the past tense , because they are describing the outcome of completed actions.
The results chapter of a thesis or dissertation presents your research results concisely and objectively.
In quantitative research , for each question or hypothesis , state:
In qualitative research , for each question or theme, describe:
Don’t interpret or speculate in the results chapter.
To automatically insert a table of contents in Microsoft Word, follow these steps:
Make sure to update your table of contents if you move text or change headings. To update, simply right click and select Update Field.
The abstract appears on its own page in the thesis or dissertation , after the title page and acknowledgements but before the table of contents .
An abstract for a thesis or dissertation is usually around 200–300 words. There’s often a strict word limit, so make sure to check your university’s requirements.
In a thesis or dissertation, the acknowledgements should usually be no longer than one page. There is no minimum length.
The acknowledgements are generally included at the very beginning of your thesis , directly after the title page and before the abstract .
Yes, it’s important to thank your supervisor(s) in the acknowledgements section of your thesis or dissertation .
Even if you feel your supervisor did not contribute greatly to the final product, you must acknowledge them, if only for a very brief thank you. If you do not include your supervisor, it may be seen as a snub.
In the acknowledgements of your thesis or dissertation, you should first thank those who helped you academically or professionally, such as your supervisor, funders, and other academics.
Then you can include personal thanks to friends, family members, or anyone else who supported you during the process.
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Posted by Rene Tetzner | Oct 2, 2021 | PhD Success | 0 |
1.1. Preliminary Matter
1.1.1 Title 1.1.2 Abstract 1.1.3 Keywords 1.1.4 Dedication 1.1.5 Table of Contents 1.1.6 Acknowledgements 1.1.7 List of Abbreviations 1.1.8 List of Figures or Illustrations 1.1.9 List of Tables
1.2 The Main Body of the Thesis
1.2.1 Introduction 1.2.2 Literature Review 1.2.3 Methodology Chapter(s) 1.2.4 Results Chapter(s) 1.2.5 Discussion and Conclusion Chapter(s)
1.2.6 In-Text References, Footnotes and/or Endnotes
1.3 Tables and Figures
1.3.1 Tables
1.3.2 Figures
1.4 Final and Supplementary Matter
1.4.1 Appendices
1.4.2 Endnotes
1.4.3 List of References, List of Works Cited or Bibliography
2.1 Writing to Record, Remember, Think and Reuse
2.1.1 Jotting Down and Developing Ideas
2.1.2 Taking Accurate, Critical and Reflective Notes while Reading Sources
2.1.3 Reviewing the Relevant Literature in a Preliminary Way
2.1.4 Recording the Results of Trials, Experiments, Surveys and Interviews
2.2 Writing and Revising for Your Supervisor: The First Piece(s) of Formal Text
3.1 Writing the Introduction for the Proposal
3.2 Writing the Literature Review for the Proposal
3.3 Writing the Methodology Chapter(s) for the Proposal
3.4 Using Footnotes or Endnotes for Supplementary Material
3.5 Constructing the Title, Table of Contents, Timeline and List of References
3.5.1 The Title
3.5.2 The Table of Contents
3.5.3 The Timeline
3.5.4 The List of References
3.6 Revising the Proposal Draft
3.7 Writing the Proposal Presentation and Anticipating Questions
3.8 Taking Notes and Resolving Problems before Moving On
4.1 Preparing an Outline or Thesis Plan: The Working Table of Contents
4.2 Title, Abstract and Keywords: Setting the Stage
4.3 Revising the Introduction, Literature Review and Methodology Chapter(s)
4.4 Writing the Data Analysis Chapter(s): Results and Evidence
4.4.1 Designing Tables and Figures: The Visual Presentation of Information
4.5 The Final Chapter(s): Discussion, Conclusion, Limitations and Implications
4.6 Appendices, References, Acknowledgements and Other Final Things
4.6.1 Appendices
4.6.2 Other Final Things
4.7 Revising, Proofreading and Polishing the Thesis Draft: How Many Times?
4.8 Writing and Revising before and after the Thesis Examination
4.8.1 Preparing for and Surviving the Examination
4.8.2 Final Corrections and Revisions: Minor or Major?
5.1 British versus American Spelling
5.2 The Perils of Hyphenation
5.3 Specialised Terminology and Jargon
5.4 Word Use, Syntax and Sentence Structure
5.4.1 Using Words in a Scholarly Fashion without Bias
5.4.2 The Precise and Appropriate Use of Pronouns
5.4.3 Nouns and Agreement
5.4.4 Both, Either, Neither, Nor and Only
5.4.5 Beginning Sentences Correctly and Avoiding Dangling Participles
5.4.6 Adjectives, Adverbs and Split Infinitives
5.4.7 Verbs: Tense, Voice and Contractions
5.4.8 Consistency and Variation in Word Use
5.5 Paragraphs and Lists: Effective Separation and Transition
5.5.1 Structured and Fully Developed Paragraphs
5.5.2 Using Lists Effectively
5.6 Punctuating Correctly and Consistently: Errors and Preferences
5.6.1 Commas
5.6.1 Semicolons and Colons
5.6.2 Stops, Question Marks and Exclamation Marks
5.6.3 Apostrophes and Quotation Marks
5.6.4 En Rules and Em Rules
5.6.5 Brackets and Slashes
6.1 Titles, Headings and Subheadings: Not Just Fancy Words
6.1.1 Using Word’s Heading Styles and Constructing an Active Table of Contents
6.2 Capitalisation and Special Fonts: Order or Chaos?
6.2.1 Capitalisation for Names, Titles and Other Elements
6.2.2 Special Fonts for Emphasis: Italic and Bold
6.3 Understanding Abbreviations
6.3.1 Lowercase or Uppercase Letters in Abbreviations
6.3.2 Full Stops with Abbreviations
6.3.3 Punctuation after Abbreviations
6.3.4 Using ‘a’ or ‘an’ before Abbreviations
6.3.5 Spacing Associated with Abbreviations
6.3.6 Plurals and Possessives of Abbreviations
6.3.7 Adding Italic Font to Abbreviations
6.3.8 Abbreviations at the Beginning of a Sentence
6.3.9 The Ampersand
6.3.10 Common English Abbreviations Used in References
6.3.11 Latin Abbreviations
6.4 Using and Formatting Numbers Appropriately
6.4.1 Words or Numerals?
6.4.2 Arabic Numerals
6.4.3 Roman Numerals
6.4.4 Dates, Decades, Centuries and Eras
6.4.6 Currency
6.4.7 Number Ranges
7.1 Why, When and Where References Should Be Provided
7.2 The Three Main Systems of In-Text Citation
7.2.1 Author–Date and Other References Based on Author Surnames
7.2.2 Numerical References
7.2.3 Footnote and Endnote References
7.3 The Basic Components of Complete Bibliographical References
7.3.1 Author’s Name
7.3.2 Editor’s Name
7.3.3 Translator’s Name
7.3.4 Title of the Source
7.3.5 Edition
7.3.6 Volume Number
7.3.7 Book in Which the Source is Contained
7.3.8 Journal in Which the Source is Contained
7.3.9 Page Numbers
7.3.10 Date of Publication
7.3.11 Publisher and Place of Publication
7.3.12 Type of Source
7.3.13 Conference Paper
7.3.14 Thesis or Dissertation
7.3.15 Audiovisual Sources
7.3.16 Web Site, Web Page or Online Document
8.1 Formatting and Acknowledging Quotations
8.2 Integrating Quotations: Punctuation, Sentence Structure and Argument
8.3 Accuracy and Alterations in Quoted Material
8.4 Quoting and Translating Languages Other than English
To Graduate Successfully
This article is part of a book called "PhD Success" which focuses on the writing process of a phd thesis, with its aim being to provide sound practices and principles for reporting and formatting in text the methods, results and discussion of even the most innovative and unique research in ways that are clear, correct, professional and persuasive.
The assumption of the book is that the doctoral candidate reading it is both eager to write and more than capable of doing so, but nonetheless requires information and guidance on exactly what he or she should be writing and how best to approach the task. The basic components of a doctoral thesis are outlined and described, as are the elements of complete and accurate scholarly references, and detailed descriptions of writing practices are clarified through the use of numerous examples.
The basic components of a doctoral thesis are outlined and described, as are the elements of complete and accurate scholarly references, and detailed descriptions of writing practices are clarified through the use of numerous examples. PhD Success provides guidance for students familiar with English and the procedures of English universities, but it also acknowledges that many theses in the English language are now written by candidates whose first language is not English, so it carefully explains the scholarly styles, conventions and standards expected of a successful doctoral thesis in the English language.
Individual chapters of this book address reflective and critical writing early in the thesis process; working successfully with thesis supervisors and benefiting from commentary and criticism; drafting and revising effective thesis chapters and developing an academic or scientific argument; writing and formatting a thesis in clear and correct scholarly English; citing, quoting and documenting sources thoroughly and accurately; and preparing for and excelling in thesis meetings and examinations.
Completing a doctoral thesis successfully requires long and penetrating thought, intellectual rigour and creativity, original research and sound methods (whether established or innovative), precision in recording detail and a wide-ranging thoroughness, as much perseverance and mental toughness as insight and brilliance, and, no matter how many helpful writing guides are consulted, a great deal of hard work over a significant period of time. Writing a thesis can be an enjoyable as well as a challenging experience, however, and even if it is not always so, the personal and professional rewards of achieving such an enormous goal are considerable, as all doctoral candidates no doubt realise, and will last a great deal longer than any problems that may be encountered during the process.
If you are interested in proofreading your PhD thesis or dissertation, please explore our expert dissertation proofreading services.
Our PhD dissertation proofreaders specialise in improving grammar, sentence structure, citations, references, clarity, logical flow and readability.
To avoid failure and its consequences, send your dissertation to our master’s dissertation proofreading service.
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Medical editing services, psychology proofreading, table of contents for phd success - how to write a doctoral thesis, about the author, rene tetzner.
Rene Tetzner's blog posts dedicated to academic writing. Although the focus is on How To Write a Doctoral Thesis, many other important aspects of research-based writing, editing and publishing are addressed in helpful detail.
Phd success – how to write a doctoral thesis.
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Have you checked out the rest of The PhD Knowledge Base ? It’s home to hundreds more free resources and guides, written especially for PhD students.
Get the introduction right and the rest of your dissertation will follow.
1. establish your research territory (by situating your research in a broader context), 2. establish and justify your niche (by describing why your research is needed) , 3. explain the significance of your research (by describing how you conducted the research).
The introduction as a whole should outline the significance and relevance of the thesis. The main criteria for a PhD is its role as an original contribution to knowledge, so the introduction is the space in which you very clearly outline that contribution.
A typical PhD thesis introduction follows the following format:
Much like the abstract, the reader shouldn’t have to wait long before they understand the contribution, what you are doing and how you are doing it. So, you’ll start by presenting your research in a clear, concise way in the opening few paragraphs. These opening paragraphs should briefly summarise the aims, objectives, research questions, main argument and contribution.
The reader shouldn’t have to wait long before they understand the contribution, what you are doing and how you are doing it.
A useful exercise here is to try and write the core elements of an introduction on a Post-it note. Keep trying until they fit. When they do, use that as the basis for these first few paragraphs. This is the same technique you use when filling out the PhD Writing Template .
As you go through the chapter, you will dial down into more and more detail. That means that the next stage, after the first few paragraphs, is to provide some context (steps 2-10 above).
Here you provide all the detail necessary to situate the study and make sense of the opening few paragraphs.
But, there are two things to bear in mind.
You will need to ease into the detail gently. Don’t launch straight from your opening paragraphs into huge amounts of detail. Follow the order of the 13 steps above and you will gradually ease into your discussion.
The danger of presenting too much information too soon is that you will confuse the reader. They will struggle to understand how the information you present is relevant and will struggle to understand how it relates to your thesis aims and objectives.
Simply follow the steps above.
You need to bear in mind that the level of detail you will go into (and therefore the length of the introduction) depends on the structure of your thesis.
If you have a standalone literature review, you will go into less detail about the current state of the literature and the gaps within it.
Similarly, if you have a dedicated theory chapter, you will not need to spend too much time on developing your theory framework.
The same is true for your methods.
The goal in any case is to present enough context to situate and make sense of your research questions but not overburden the reader with information that is superfluous to the goal of situating the research and which you will repeat at a later juncture anyhow.
Use our free PhD structure template to quickly visualise every element of your thesis.
When we proofread PhDs , we see the same mistakes again and again.
There is a tendency to provide too much background information in the introduction. As we saw above, quite how much information you present in your thesis will depend on whether you have a standalone literature review or methods chapter. What you want to avoid is any unnecessary repetition.
Sometimes there is necessary repetition though. You need to present just enough information to contextualise your study and to be able to situate your aims, research questions an argument, but not too much that you end up confusing and bombarding the reader. Keep things simple here; it’s fine to overlook some of the more technical detail at this stage. Think of a newspaper article: the first couple of paragraphs provide a brief overview of the story. The detail comes later.
On the flip side, some students don’t provide enough detail. The danger here is that the reader is left asking questions at the end of the introduction. Remember: they should be able to understand what your thesis is about, how it was conducted and why it is important just from reading the introduction. If you present too little detail then they won’t be able to. Read through your own introduction; is it clear what your contribution is and why it is important? If not, you haven’t got enough detail.
Make sure you introduce gently. Don’t suddenly rush into lots of detail. Instead, you should make the aims, questions and contribution clear in the opening lines and then gradually layer on more detail. That way, the reader can keep up. Present too much detail too soon and the reader will become confused. The last place you want confusion is in the introduction; if the reader can’t follow your introduction, they won’t understand the thesis.
Some students don’t follow a coherent logic when they write their introductions, which means that the reader is left confused.
For example, if you present too much background information and literature review before you outline the aim and purpose of the research, the reader will struggle to follow, because they won’t know why the background information is important.
The same is true if you discuss the methods before your research questions.
What we see often is important information being spread throughout the introduction in such a way that the reader has to hunt for it. Follow our layout guide above so that each piece of vital information is contained in its own mini section. Make your reader’s job as easy as possible.
It’s more than likely that your research relies upon lots of technical terms, concepts and techniques. If you must talk about any of these in the introduction, be sure to offer clear and concise definitions. A failure to do so means that the reader is left confused.
Unless you are explicitly avoiding a standalone literature review chapter, the introduction is not the place to review the literature. Sure, you will need to situate your study in a body of literature, but the introduction isn’t the place to critically discuss it or justify its inclusion in that literature. It’s enough to say that you will contribute to X body of literature and briefly discuss its core features and shortcomings. The literature review is the place to justify that decision and elaborate upon its features. Read our guide to writing literature reviews and our guide to being critical when you do so.
Once you have finished your thesis, ask yourself the following questions:
Now you know how to present your research as clearly and concisely as possible. Your reader (and examiner) will thank you, because they’ll be able to understand exactly what your study is about just from reading the introductory pages. Keep this guide to hand, whatever stage of the writing process you are at.
Have you downloaded our free one page PhD Writing Template ? It’s a really effective way to visualise your entire thesis on one page.
If you’re still struggling to structure your introduction, or you need any other support as you write your thesis, check out our one-on-one PhD coaching . It’s like having a personal trainer, but for your PhD.
12 comments.
I was struggling with writing the introduction chapter. Really had no idea on how to organise my ideas. Completely lost and desolate. I have no one to encourage or support me. I prayed to God to give me knowledge and wisdom and guide me. After a while I found this site. Praise the Lord. I can’t thank u enough for addressing exactly what’s in my mind. Thank you. Glory be to God for directing me to this site.
All we aim to do here is to make life a little bit easier for PhD students. I know how hard I found it when I was completing mine, so I want to give something back to the community. I’m so pleased you found it useful. Good luck with writing up. If you need any support or if you have any questions at all, email me: [email protected]
Thank you very very much for your information it is resourceful. I was having a problem how to start my introduction.
It’s great to hear you found it useful. Thanks!
Hey, this is so useful thankyou! I’m wondering does this apply broadly to all PhD’s including humanities?
Yep – it sure does.
I found this piece of information helpful. I am preparing for my proposal defense in two weeks and needed to refine my introduction. Thank you very much. God bless you richly. I wish we can have a skype conversation.
Thank you again.
thank you, learned from this
Your advice and guidance has become my constant companion in what has been a very stressful time. You write with empathy and understanding. What a wonderful job you are doing for those of us who are too proud to seek advice and support from supervisors or colleagues. Sincerest thanks for taking the loneliness out of writing.
Such nice words. Thank you so much.
this is really useful!!!
Thanks Nora! I’m glad you found it useful.
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Most popular articles from the phd knowlege base.
Published by Owen Ingram at August 12th, 2021 , Revised On September 20, 2023
“A table of contents is an essential part of any article, book, proceedings, essay , and paper with plenty of information. It requires providing the reader’s guidance about the position of the content.”
When preparing a dissertation , you may cram as much information into it as appropriate. The dissertation may be an extremely well-written one with a lot of valuable information to offer. Still, all that information could become perplexing if the reader cannot easily find the information.
The length of dissertations usually varies from a few pages to a few hundred pages, making it very difficult to find information that you may be after.
Instead of skimming through every page of the dissertation, there is a need for a guideline that directs the reader to the correct section of the dissertation and, more importantly, the correct page in the section.
Also read: The List of Figures and Tables in the Dissertation .
The table of contents is the section of a dissertation that guides each section of the dissertation paper’s contents.
Depending on the detail level in a table of contents, the most useful headings are listed to provide the reader concerning which page the said information may be found.
The table of contents is essentially a list found at the beginning of a dissertation , which contains names of the chapters, section titles and/or very brief descriptions, and page numbers indicated for each.
This allows the reader to look at the table of contents to locate the information needed from the dissertation. Having an effective table of contents is key to providing a seamless reading experience to the reader.
Here in this article, we will uncover every piece of information you need to know to write the dissertation’s abstract.
This article helps the readers on how to create the best table of contents for the dissertation. An important thing to note is that this guide discusses creating a table of contents in Microsoft Word.
Researchprospect to the rescue then.
We have expert writers on our team who are skilled at helping students with dissertations across a variety of disciplines. Guaranteeing 100% satisfaction!
Making an effective table of contents starts with identifying headings and designating styles to those headings.
Using heading styles to format your headings can save a lot of time by automatically converting their formatting to the defined style and serves as a tool to identify the heading and its level, used later when creating a thesis table of contents .
Each heading style already has predefined sizes, fonts, colours, spacing, etc. but can be changed as per the user’s requirements. This also helps once all headings have been created and you intend to change the style of a certain type of heading.
All that is needed to change the style of a type of heading is automatically reflected on all headings that use the style.
Below is how the styles menu looks like;
To allocate a style to a heading, first select a heading and then click on one of the styles in the ‘Styles’ menu. Doing so converts the selected heading to the style that is selected in the Styles menu.
You can style a similar heading level in the same style by selecting each heading and then clicking on the style in the Style menu.
It is important to note that it greatly helps and saves time if you allocate styles systematically, i.e., you allocate the style as you write.
The styles are not limited to headings only but can be used for paragraphs and by selecting the whole paragraph and applying a style to it.
To change the appearance of a style to one that suits you,
Further changes can be made to headings, but using styles is an important step for creating the table of contents for the thesis. Once this step is completed, you can continue to create a thesis table of contents.
Also Read: What is Appendix in Dissertation?
First, to generate the Table of Contents, start by entering a blank page after the pages you need the table of contents to follow.
By the time you reach this section, you would have given each heading or sub-heading a dedicated style, distinguishing between different types of headings. Microsoft Word can automatically generate a Table of Contents, but the document, particularly the headings, needs to be formatted according to styles for this feature to work. You can assign different headings levels, different styles for Microsoft Word to recognize the level of heading.
As you proceed with editing your dissertation, the changes cause the page numbers and headings to vary. Often, people fail to incorporate those changes into the Table of Contents, which then effectively serves as an incorrect table and causes confusion.
It is thus important to update the changes into the table of contents as the final step once you have made all the necessary changes in the dissertation and are ready to print it.
These changes may alter the length of the thesis table of contents , which may also cause the dissertation’s formatting to be altered a little, so it is best to reformat it after updating the table of contents.
To update the table of contents,
Using this guide, you should understand how to create the best table of contents for the dissertation. The use of a Table of Contents, while being important for most written work, is even more critical for dissertations, especially when the proper methodology of creating the table of contents is followed.
This includes the guidelines that must be considered to correctly format the table of contents so that it may be shaped so that it follows the norms and is effective at helping the reader navigate through the content of the dissertation.
The use of Microsoft Word’s Table of Contents generation feature has greatly helped people worldwide create, edit, and update the table of contents of their dissertations with ease.
Here in this article, we will uncover every piece of information you need to know how to write the dissertation’s abstract .
Are you in need of help with dissertation writing? At ResearchProspect, we have hundreds of Master’s and PhD qualified writers for all academic subjects, so you can get help with any aspect of your dissertation project. You can place your order for a proposal , full dissertation paper , or individual chapters .
Yes, it is important to add a table of content in a dissertation .
Using heading styles to format your headings can save a lot of time by automatically converting their formatting to the defined style and serves as a tool to identify the heading and its level, used later when creating a thesis table of contents.
You may also like.
Learn how to write a good declaration page for your thesis with the help of our step-by-step comprehensive guide. Read now.
Dissertation conclusion is perhaps the most underrated part of a dissertation or thesis paper. Learn how to write a dissertation conclusion.
When writing your dissertation, an abstract serves as a deal maker or breaker. It can either motivate your readers to continue reading or discourage them.
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After submitting a concept paper and your supervisor gives you the go-ahead, then it is time to start writing the proposal for your PhD thesis or dissertation.
The format of a thesis proposal varies from one institution to another but generally has three main chapters: chapter 1 (introduction), chapter 2 (literature review), and chapter 3 (research methodology).
Related post: How To Choose a Research Topic For Your PhD Thesis (7 Key Factors to Consider)
While in some institutions PhD students may be required to write more chapters, these three chapters are the meat of any thesis proposal. This article focuses on how to write chapter 1 of a PhD thesis proposal.
Chapter 1 of a thesis proposal has about 10 sections discussed below:
Background to the study, statement of the problem, justification of the study, significance of the study, objectives of the study and/or research questions, scope of the study, limitations and delimitations of the study, definition of terms, chapter summary, final thoughts on how to write chapter 1 of a phd thesis proposal, related posts.
This is the first section of chapter 1 of a thesis proposal. It is normally short about a paragraph in length. Its purpose is to inform the readers what the chapter is all about.
This section is the longest in chapter 1 of a thesis proposal.
It provides the context within which the study will be undertaken.
It gives a historical explanation of the issue under investigation.
It is important to use existing data and statistics to show the magnitude of the issue. Grey literature (for instance, reports from the government, non-governmental organisations, local institutions and international organisations among others) play an important role when providing the background to the study.
The background is often given starting from a general perspective and narrows down to a specific perspective.
For example, if the proposal is on maternal health in South Africa, then the background of the study will discuss maternal health from the global perspective, then maternal health in Africa, and then it will narrow down to maternal health in South Africa. It will provide data and statistics provided by reports from the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and demographic and health surveys (DHS) of various countries and specifically South Africa, among other reports. Such information paints a clear picture of the problem under investigation and sets the stage for the discussion of the problem statement.
The background to the study should be clear and comprehensive enough such that your readers will be on the same page after reading the section, irrespective of their prior knowledge in your research topic.
While reviewing literature for this section, a good practice is to build mind maps that highlight the important concepts for the study topic and how those concepts relate to each other.
It is also referred to as problem statement or issue under investigation.
The statement of the problem is the elephant in the “chapter 1” room. It is what most students struggle with and the area that can make or break a proposal defense.
It is very common to hear supervisors or defense panelists make comments such as:
“I don’t see any problem here.”
“This problem is not a problem.”
“This problem does not warrant a PhD-level study.”
When writing the statement of the problem, start the section with the problem, as in… The problem (or issue) under investigation is ….
After stating the problem then follow it up with an explanation of why it is a problem.
For PhD students, the problem under investigation should be complex enough to warrant a doctoral-level study and at the same time it should add to the body of knowledge in your chosen field of study. The latter – addition to knowledge – is what distinguishes a PhD-level thesis from a Masters-level thesis.
While crafting the problem statement it is also important to remember that the problem will influence the research objectives and the research methodology as well. The student should therefore think through these aspects carefully.
The justification is used to address the need for conducting the study and addressing the problem. It therefore follows the problem statement.
It is also referred to as the rationale for the study and addresses the “why” of the study: Why does this problem warrant an investigation? What is the purpose for carrying out the study?
In the example of maternal health in South Africa, the rationale or justification for the study would be the high maternal mortality ratios in South Africa and their undesirable effects on children and family. Therefore the study would help bring to light the major causes of maternal mortality in the country and how they can best be mitigated.
Whereas the justification of the study addresses the need for the study, the significance of the study highlights the benefits that would accrue after the study is completed.
The significance can be looked at from two perspectives:
For the academic perspective , the significance entails how the study would contribute to the existing body of knowledge in the chosen topic. Will it add to the methodology? Theory? New data? Will it study a population or phenomenon that has been neglected?
For PhD students, the addition to the body of knowledge is key, and should always be at the back of the student’s mind.
For the practical perspective , the significance of the study would be the impact and benefits that different stakeholders would derive from the findings of the study.
Depending on the study, the stakeholders may include: the Government, policymakers, different ministries and their agencies, different institutions, individuals, a community etc. This will vary from one study to another.
The significance of the study is best presented from a general to specific manner, like an inverted pyramid.
Each beneficiary is discussed separately.
Research questions are the question form of the research objectives. Depending on your institution and/or department where you are doing your PhD you may have both objectives and research questions or either.
There are two types of objectives: the general objective and the specific objectives. The general objective is a reflection of the study topic while the specific objectives are a breakdown of the general objective.
Coming up with good research objectives is an important step of any PhD thesis proposal. This is because the research objectives will determine whether the research problem will be adequately addressed and at the same time it will influence the research methodology that the study will adopt.
Research objectives should therefore emanate from the research problem.
While crafting the objectives, think about all those things that you would like to accomplish for your study and if by doing them they will address the research problem in totality.
Once you’ve noted all those activities that you would like to undertake, group the like ones together so as to narrow them down to 4 or 5 strong objectives.
The number of research objectives that PhD students should come up with will be determined by the requirements of their institution. However, the objectives should be adequate enough such that a single paper can be produced from each objective. This is important in ensuring that the PhD student publishes as many papers as is required by their institution.
Objectives are usually stated using action verbs. For instance: to examine, to analyse, to understand, to review, to investigate… etc.
It is important to understand the meaning of the action verbs used in the research objectives because different action verbs imply different methodology approaches. For instance: to analyse implies a quantitative approach, whereas to explore implies a qualitative approach.
Therefore, if a study will use purely quantitative research methodology, then the action verbs for the research objectives should strictly reflect that. Same case applies to qualitative studies. Studies that use a mixed-methods approach can have a mix of the action verbs.
Have a variety of the action verbs in your research objectives. Don’t just use the same action verb throughout.
Useful tip: To have a good idea of the action verbs that scholars use, create an Excel file with three columns: 1) action verb, 2) example of research objective, and 3) research methodology used. Then every time you read a journal paper, note down the objectives stated in that paper and fill in the three columns respectively. Besides journal papers, past PhD theses and dissertations are a good source of how research objectives are stated.
Another important point to remember is that the research objectives will form the basis of the discussion chapter. Each research objective will be discussed separately and will form its own sub-chapter under the discussion chapter. This is why the complexity of the research objectives is important especially for PhD students.
The scope of the study simply means the boundaries or the space within which the study will be undertaken.
Most studies have the potential of covering a wider scope than stated but because of time and budget constraints the scope gets narrowed down.
When defining the scope for a PhD study, it should not be too narrow or too wide but rather it should be adequate enough to meet the requirements of the program.
The scope chosen by the student should always be justified.
Limitations refer to factors that may affect a study which are not under the control of the student.
Delimitations on the other hand are factors that may affect the study for which the student has control.
Limitations are therefore caused by circumstances while delimitations are a matter of choice of the student.
It is therefore important for the student to justify their delimitations and mitigate their study’s limitations.
Examples of study limitations:
– political unrest in a region of interest: this can be mitigated by choosing another region for the study.
– covid-19 restrictions may limit physical collection of data: this can be mitigated by collecting data via telephone interviews or emailing questionnaires to the respondents.
Examples of study delimitations:
– choice of a particular community as the unit of the study: in this case the student should justify why that particular community was chosen over others.
– use of quantitative research methodology only: in this case the student should justify why they chose the research methodology over mixed-methods research.
The definition of key terms used in the study is important because it helps the readers understand the main concepts of the study. Not all readers have the background information or knowledge about the focus of the study.
However, the definitions used should be the denotative definitions, rather than the connotative (dictionary) definitions. Therefore the context within which the terms have been used should be provided.
This is the last section of the introduction chapter and it basically informs the reader what the chapter covered.
Like the introduction to the chapter, the chapter summary should be short: about one paragraph in length.
Chapter 1 of a PhD thesis proposal is an important chapter because it lays the foundation for the rest of the proposal and the thesis itself. Its role is to inspire and motivate the readers to read on. The most challenging task with chapter 1 is learning how to state the problem in a manner that is clear and to the point. For PhD students, the research problem should be complex enough to warrant a doctoral-level study.
Whereas the format of the chapter may vary from one institution to another, the sections presented in this article provide a guide to most of what is required for the chapter to be complete. Learning how to write chapter 1 of a PhD thesis proposal requires constant writing practice as well as reading of many past PhD theses and dissertations.
How To Write Chapter 2 Of A PhD Thesis Proposal (A Beginner’s Guide)
How To Write Chapter 3 Of A PhD Thesis Proposal (A Detailed Guide)
Grace Njeri-Otieno
Grace Njeri-Otieno is a Kenyan, a wife, a mom, and currently a PhD student, among many other balls she juggles. She holds a Bachelors' and Masters' degrees in Economics and has more than 7 years' experience with an INGO. She was inspired to start this site so as to share the lessons learned throughout her PhD journey with other PhD students. Her vision for this site is "to become a go-to resource center for PhD students in all their spheres of learning."
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Starting on PhD research is a big step in a researcher’s academic journey, and submitting a research proposal is a significant part of it. Indeed, many PhD scholars seek guidance on how to write a PhD research proposal , which is the foundational document that outlines the scope, objectives, and methodology of their prospective doctoral study. This article takes a look at the essential elements of a PhD research proposal and discuss practical steps to help develop an effective and strong document.
Think of a PhD research proposal as a blueprint for your research. It lays out the main questions you want to seek answers to in your study, and presents an overview of the field you are planning to dive into. The PhD research proposal is not just about summarizing what is already available in the public domain. It is a critical document that demonstrates the feasibility, significance, and originality of the proposed research, and therefore, plays a crucial role in influencing admission decisions and securing funding opportunities. It also explains how your research is different and new and underscores the unique angles, perspectives and originality of your area of study.[ 1]
Even though your research proposal focuses on what you plan to do in the future, supervisors and funders also want to see what you have already achieved academically. Their interest lies in how well you understand the existing research, including recent studies and discussions in your academic field.
Therefore, it is essential to showcase your awareness about gaps in current knowledge and how your research will develop new knowledge and perspectives. Presenting a clear and detailed picture of this background is critical.[ 2]
Research proposals can vary based on the institution you wish to send the proposal to or your subject of study, but there is a broad structure that needs to be followed.[ 3][4][5] A good PhD research proposal structure should highlight what makes your idea unique, feasible, and significant.
Follow these proven tips to structure a PhD research proposal and make it stand out:
A research proposal typically spans approximately 2,500 words, although there is flexibility in the length as there is no strict upper or lower limit. However, the length may vary depending on the requirements of the institution or funding agency.
Now that you understand the structure of a PhD research proposal , here are some tips to help you craft a compelling document: [7]
References:
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How to choose a dissertation topic, best wordtune alternative: detailed review and comparison, you may also like, how to write a research proposal: (with examples..., how to write an academic paragraph (step-by-step guide), maintaining academic integrity with paperpal’s generative ai writing..., research funding basics: what should a grant proposal..., how to write an abstract in research papers..., how to write dissertation acknowledgements, how to structure an essay, leveraging generative ai to enhance student understanding of....
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Congratulations to dunja al-nuaimi for defending her phd thesis.
Applause to Dunja Al-Nuaimi for successfully defending her thesis on "On the Role of Hydrostatic Pressure in the Endothelial Mechanical Niche" on 29.7.2024! Congratulations and all the best for your future, Dunja!
We contacted a private university in Rajasthan on a tip-off that the agents of a few North Indian universities were actively offering easy PhD degrees in Kerala. We spoke to one Dinesh, who introduced himself as the academic counsellor of the university.
While inviting applications for the full-time and part-time PhD programmes that began in July, the university claimed that it was recognised by the UGC and the Rajasthan government.
The university offered PhD in about 25 subjects, including Botany, Zoology, Economics, Commerce, Law, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry. Mass Communication, Sociology, Psychology, History, Education, Hindi, English, and various Engineering streams. The fee for the three-year PhD programme was Rs 2.95 lakh, and the candidate should clear an entrance test.
Candidates with UGC NET, JRF, or GATE were eligible for direct entry, without sitting for the entrance test.
We told Dinesh that a friend had informed us that the university would arrange for the thesis as well. He confirmed the information. "The university will arrange a co-guide for you. The guide will prepare everything, from the synopsis to the thesis, besides ensuring the mandatory two published papers. The fee for the entire package is Rs 3.7 lakh," he said.
"You will have to visit the university three or four times for admission and submitting the thesis. If you can't wait for the entire 3.5-year duration of the course for the PhD, there is an alternative. Several scholars had discontinued during the peak COVID-19 period. You will be admitted to their vacancy. If you can find someone to prepare the thesis, you need to pay only Rs 2.95 lakh," Dinesh said, adding that several students from Kerala were researching at that university.
One country, varying fees!
Though fake certificates of several Indian universities are available, the rate varies-
Himachal Pradesh: Rs 1,00,000 - Rs 1,50,000
The fake certificate mafia operating out of Himachal Pradesh charges anywhere between Rs 1 lakh to Rs 1.5 lakh for a degree certificate. The police had recently arrested two employees of Arni University and seized 39 fake degree certificates from them. The gang even 'issued' certificates from a defunct Karnataka university.
Maharashtra: Rs 60,000 to Rs 1,00,000
The Maharashtra police arrested an 11-member gang that sold fake certificates ranging from Class X pass to degree two months ago. They charged Rs 60,000 for a fake Class X certificate, and the rate would go up to Rs 1 lakh for a degree certificate. Another gang arrested from Pune sold fake degree certificates for Rs 1.5 lakh.
Karnataka: Rs 1,00,000 - Rs 2,00,000
Several mafias, including those providing fake certificates to pursue courses in other states and abroad, are active in Karnataka. Most gangs are based in Bengaluru. A man arrested recently confessed that his gang alone had sold 6,800 fake certificates. Another gang that was arrested a few months ago had printed and sold about 1,000 certificates.
Haryana: Rs 5,00,00 - Rs 10,00,000
A gang that was selling original medical degree certificates was arrested in Haryana one-and-a-half months ago. Two doctors of the Council for India Medicine and its employees were among those arrested. It was found that the gang had taken cheques for Rs 10 lakh for providing MBBS certificates.
Odisha: Rs 3,00,000 to Rs 5,00,000
The police confiscated fake certificates of 41 universities from a 19-member gang arrested at Balangir in Odisha. It was later revealed that they had sold 5,000 fake degree certificates. It was also found that the gang had charged up to Rs 5 lakh for B.Com and B.Tech certificates. The 'originality' of the holograms and logos on the certificates surprised even the investigators.
Sit back and enjoy
We contacted a distance education centre at Shoranur in Palakkad after coming across an advertisement that offered a postgraduate degree certificate in six months. Our first question was how could one complete the course in six months.
Pat came the reply: "Your admission will be back-dated. You will have to appear for all papers of all semesters in a single go. But this will be possible only if you have completed your graduation at least two years ago."
The centre's owner talked business when told that we had completed graduation several years ago. "We offer postgraduate courses of Periyar, Annamalai, and Bharatiyar universities. We will provide the certificate, mark lists of all four semesters, migration certificate, and necessary other documents. The total fee is Rs 65,000," he said.
When asked if it would be possible to learn the syllabus of all four semesters within six months, he offered a solution: "You need not bother about it. We will get someone to write the exam for you."
"So, is it an online examination," we further probed. "No, it is offline," he replied. "Our institute is the examination centre. But you will have to pay an extra Rs 1,000 for getting a dummy candidate to take the examination on your behalf," he explained.
On further enquiry, he said the extra amount of Rs 1,000 would cover all papers — not for an individual paper. "The university will directly issue the certificate. It's original," he added.
Fake NORKA certification
Rackets provide not only forged educational certificates to get jobs abroad but also get these certificates attested by NORKA. The fake attestation came to light after a Kollam resident, who was fired after working abroad on a fake certificate, returned home.
He approached the NORKA office, saying he had found a job in another country and the certificates needed to be attested again. For some reason, he could not get the fake attestation done.
At first look itself, the NORKA officials realised the earlier fake attestation. They informed the police, and the man was picked up from the NORKA office itself. The probe led investigators to two advocates. After the police had searched their residence, they went into hiding. The case is continuing.
Dr Quack, Class IV
The Health Department received a complaint that raised suspicion about a piles specialist at a private clinic in Thrissur. While inspecting the hospital, the health officials, too, found some amiss. They summoned the doctor who was busy with patients.
The conversation was direct. When asked about his educational qualification, the doctor had no hesitation to say, "Class 4 pass."
The 'guest' doctor, who can't read or write English, came to Kerala armed with a certificate someone had provided him. Another 'doctor', too, was arrested along with the piles specialist. But he was more qualified. He had passed Class 9.
Incidentally, these two had displayed their certificates at a height no one could read in their consultation rooms.
(Reports: Joji Simon, Jithin Jose, S P Sarath. Compilation: Ajish Muraleedharan
This is the fourth of a five-part series on the fake degree menace in Kerala.
Read Part 1: How fake degree certificate menace is wrecking Kerala’s higher education sector
Part 2: Pay and get fake degree certificate! How online rackets operate
Part 3: Certificate forgery cases remain unsolved and go cold often
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The bottom line is that how to structure a PhD thesis often depends on your university and department guidelines. But, let's take a look at a general PhD thesis format. We'll look at the main sections, and how to connect them to each other. We'll also examine different hints and tips for each of the sections.
Dissertation Table of Contents in Word | Instructions & Examples. Published on May 15, 2022 by Tegan George.Revised on July 18, 2023. The table of contents is where you list the chapters and major sections of your thesis, dissertation, or research paper, alongside their page numbers.A clear and well-formatted table of contents is essential, as it demonstrates to your reader that a quality ...
The title page of a thesis or dissertation must include the following information: The title of the thesis or dissertation in all capital letters and centered 2″ below the top of the page. Your name, centered 1″ below the title. Do not include titles, degrees, or identifiers. The name you use here does not need to exactly match the name on ...
Most dissertations are 100 to 300 pages in length. All dissertations should be divided into appropriate sections, and long dissertations may need chapters, main divisions, and even subdivisions. Students should keep in mind that GSAS and many departments deplore overlong and wordy dissertations.
Time to recap…. And there you have it - the traditional dissertation structure and layout, from A-Z. To recap, the core structure for a dissertation or thesis is (typically) as follows: Title page. Acknowledgments page. Abstract (or executive summary) Table of contents, list of figures and tables.
Respect the word limit. Don't be vague - the abstract should be a self-contained summary of the research, so don't introduce ambiguous words or complex terms. Focus on just four or five essential points, concepts, or findings. Don't, for example, try to explain your entire theoretical framework. Edit it carefully.
A thesis is the main output of a PhD as it explains your workflow in reaching the conclusions you have come to in undertaking the research project. As a result, much of the content of your thesis will be based around your chapters of original work. For your thesis to be successful, it needs to adequately defend your argument and provide a ...
Abstract: this serves as a concise synopsis of the dissertation, covering the research context, purpose of the study or research questions, methodology, findings and conclusions. This section is usually one to two pages in length. Table of contents: this page lists the thesis content and respective page numbers. General introduction and ...
A doctoral dissertation makes an original contribution to knowledge, as defined in a discipline or an interdisciplinary domain and addresses a significant researchable problem. Not all problems are researchable and not all are significant. Problems that can be solved by a mere descriptive exercise are not appropriate for the PhD dissertation.
A Template To Help You Structure Your PhD's Theoretical Framework Chapter. In this guide, I explain how to use the theory framework template. The focus is on the practical things to consider when you're working with the template and how you can give your theory framework the rockstar treatment. Use our free tools, guides and templates to ...
To do this, first go to the Home tab. This is where you will choose the styles for the table of contents. Step 2. The top-level headings will be your chapter titles, so on the right side of the tab, apply the Heading 1 style. Step 3. The second-level headings will be your subheadings, so apply the Heading 2 style.
Education in how to write a doctoral thesis or dissertation should be a part of the postgraduate curriculum, parallel to the laboratory work and Journal Club activities during the PhD studies and/or residency levels.9,10 The overall structure of a doctoral thesis is internationally standardized. However, it varies in style and quality ...
Dissertation word counts vary widely across different fields, institutions, and levels of education:. An undergraduate dissertation is typically 8,000-15,000 words; A master's dissertation is typically 12,000-50,000 words; A PhD thesis is typically book-length: 70,000-100,000 words
A PhD made up on only critical assessment may be possible (for UCL) but is extremely difficult. Average, good, size for a thesis is 150 pages all in. Perhaps up to 50 extra pages for a big appendix and bibliography. Beware of the trend to write long and boring doctorates (papers, &c), improve your communications skills.
Table of Contents for the book PhD Success on how to write a doctoral dissertation which focuses on the writing process of a phd dissertations. English; Português; ... This article is part of a book called "PhD Success" which focuses on the writing process of a phd thesis, with its aim being to provide sound practices and principles for ...
Contents 0 Opening: About the course i-iii . 1 Structure and Introduction 1-13 . 2 The Literature Review 14-28 . ... 'Art education, identity and gender at Tehran and al Zahra Universities'. Unpublished PhD thesis, Canterbury Christ Church University. Ko, Chao-jung (2010) 'Early-stage French as a Foreign Language in Taiwan: a case study ...
Therefore, in a good research proposal you will need to demonstrate two main things: 1. that you are capable of independent critical thinking and analysis. 2. that you are capable of communicating your ideas clearly. Applying for a PhD is like applying for a job, you are not applying for a taught programme.
An effective PhD thesis introduction does three things: 1. Establish your research territory (by situating your research in a broader context) One of the first things the introduction should do is to provide general statements that outline the importance of the topic and provide enough background information so that the reader can understand ...
Generating Dissertation Table of Contents. First, to generate the Table of Contents, start by entering a blank page after the pages you need the table of contents to follow. To do so, click on the bottom of the page you want before the Table of Contents. Open the 'Insert' tab and select 'Page Break'.
Chapter 1 of a PhD thesis proposal is an important chapter because it lays the foundation for the rest of the proposal and the thesis itself. Its role is to inspire and motivate the readers to read on. The most challenging task with chapter 1 is learning how to state the problem in a manner that is clear and to the point.
Starting on PhD research is a big step in a researcher's academic journey, and submitting a research proposal is a significant part of it. Indeed, many PhD scholars seek guidance on how to write a PhD research proposal, which is the foundational document that outlines the scope, objectives, and methodology of their prospective doctoral study.This article takes a look at the essential ...
PhD Dissertation Defense - Adaptation and Evaluation of Guideline-Based Family-Based Behavioral Treatment for Overweight and Obesity in Childhood Survivors of Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and Lymphoma
Applause to Dunja Al-Nuaimi for successfully defending her thesis on "On the Role of Hydrostatic Pressure in the Endothelial Mechanical Niche" on 29.7.2024! Congratulations and all the best for your future, Dunja!
"The university will arrange a co-guide for you. The guide will prepare everything, from the synopsis to the thesis, besides ensuring the mandatory two published papers. The fee for the entire package is Rs 3.7 lakh," he said. "You will have to visit the university three or four times for admission and submitting the thesis.